Followers

Facebook Badge

Monday, March 2

The number of abortions among girls aged under 16 rose by 10% to 4,376 in 2007, official figures for England and Wales show.

In the under 14s, abortions rose by 21% from 135 in 2006 to 163 last year.
The number of abortions in all women rose by 2.5% to reach an all time high of almost 200,000.
Government advisers called for high quality sex education at school and investment in contraception services for young people.

Scotland has also seen a rise in the number of abortions with figures published in May showing there were 13,703 carried out in 2007 compared with 13,163 in 2006.
The number of abortions carried out has been rising ever since the 1967 Abortion Act - with just over 22,000 terminations in the first year.
In the past decade, the number of abortions in the under 16s has risen by 27%.
But at the same time the teenage pregnancy rate has fallen.

113 comments:

With the options today on ending a pregnancy with out technically aborting, why not use those options instead of something as traumatic as an abortion. The morning after pill seems such a reasonable answer to stop abortions. If you have unprotected sex, or are worried your protection didnt work, why not take the pill. I have to admit I am very uneducated about this pill, if it has any side effects or the percentage of it working, but if it really works, it just seems so much simpler and less expensive and intrusive to a woman's body. It also seems as if it would help save money when coming to the health care issue. I believe that women should have the right to choose, not because I believe in the choice to abort, but they will make their own choices anyway so why make it illegal? I in no way approve of an abortion after the first trimester. You have plenty of time in the first trimester to decide if you want the child or not. If you wait any further then you are not being responsible with your decision, unless it has to do with severe medical problems with the child that cannot be found until later on in the pregnancy. I do believe that if a child will be born into a life of severe pain and short life, maybe there would be reason to end the pregnancy. I do believe in miracles by God and believe that Science is not always right and you may be ending a chance to a perfectly healthy life. One thing I do not believe in is anyone under the age of 18 making that decision on their own. I believe most of these decisions are made out of fear of what their parents or friends will think of them. Parents should definitely be involved in the decision because the fear of the child that is pregnant may be totally wrong on how their parents will react to the decision. If the parents are supportive then they may change their mind and be able to give the baby at a chance to live either with the mother or being able to be adopted. So I guess deep down I do not approve of abortion, but feel that adults should be able to make their own choice and be accountable to God and God only. He is the only one true judge not us.

I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH ABORTION!! Abortion is just a better word for murder. I just do not understand how someone could take the life of an innocent other. So many women in this country or even state cannot have children for so many reasons and other women are just throwing them away like banana peels. It is really a shame. The fact that some people think that "life" does not begin until a certain month is really an ignorant statement. If a women is "raped" and somehow turns up pregnant I do not think that gives them the right to get rid of that life inside of them just because of something they went through. everyone goes through something for reason and most of the time when they do abort the baby, in about two to three months they are going through a depression over it. No one has the right to decide whether or not a person lives even as a fetus or "alien creature." Now a days children are having sex younger and younger and is not being educated enough about needs to be known. But still that is NO EXCUSE for a child to get pregnant and abort the baby. My answer is if a child is grown enough to have sex then they are old and grown enough to have a baby. Yes many people would say, "Well, they shouldn't raise a child when they do not want it" and I totally agree with that but there are many women out there that do. If some "girls," because thats what they are, would actually take the time out to read about abortion and to actually see what is being done, I'm sure many would change there mind. Recently, when i was leaving in new jersey, a young girl died from having an abortion and she was only in high school, but then the people want to get mad at the place that did it when it is really not their fault. It's like having a vacum suck out your baby and most of the time they are not able to get everything and the girl will later get infected because of what is left and die or become terminally ill due to it. But anyways I'm going to stop now because i can go on and on about this subject even though it is very cut and dry for me. I just have a special thing for children on a whole and I just hate the fact that people think that by killing them it makes there life easier. Ok I'm done now.....

I think that the parents of today need to be more aware of their childs where abouts, need to educate them on sex. Parents don't want to talk to their kids about it because its difficult and personal, but it needs to be done. Teenagers and even adult women use abortion almost as another birth control. There need to be guidelines to how one would qualify for the procedure. There is just to much sex advertised and not nearly enough education.

I have to say yes and no. if a young girl was raped, then yes. I support abortion 100% if the girl wants it. I wouldn’t want an unwanted baby. Plus, what is she going to say when the child ask “where’s my dad and what does he do?” are you going to tell the child that you are here today because your dad raped me? No. plus if mom and dad is not ready for the baby by any means, then yeah, I can understand that abortion is a right thing to do. If having a baby was a mistake, then yes. Go ahead and have an abortion. But you have to learn from your mistakes. You can't just have abortion one after the other just because you can. Like we talked about in class, I strongly believe that sex education is very important. I think less education leads to more mistakes. So, there's my answer. It’s hard for me to say yes or no. two different point of view there.

Abortion is a tough subject to talk about becuase there is no real answer. Some are pro life and some are pro chice but i would have to say pro choice only because the there are to many outcomes that can go negative for either side but having the choice to have it or not is probably the better option. I have see nbabies that are not wanted when they are born becasue they were a mistake and just being thrown out by their mothers becasue they cant be taken care of. I think it is better off not having it and having the choice because the future is unknown and really tough to tell what the mother will do with the baby if the situation she is in is not healthy. I have seen teens with a healyth backround and good parents that go through with the birth and get through it but then there are situations were the mother is not doing as well and at the brink of poverty. There are many more failures then there are succesful events occuring in the world. I just feel bad that a person has to have that burden and go through the ordeal and mental stress. Pro choice at least gives you options to not have it but i cant really say it is the 100% correct answer. I just feel its the best option casue either you going to make 2 lives miserable or 1. I would not want to put a bbaby into that situation if i were not fit to handle the situation.

I personally have to say that I am totally against abortions, but at the same time I believe if a pregnancy is the cause of a rape I will agree for the girl to have an abortion. I totally agree that the government needs to pay more attention to this issue and invest more money on contraception. Education is also a big part of teen pregnancy; kids should be educated from an early age about the consequences that sex can have. I believe that a much stronger education will help reduced teen pregnancy. I do not understand why people do not bother to use protection. There are many things out there that can prevent a girl from becoming pregnant, but the most common reason why I hear girls say that they are not on anything is because birth control makes them gain weight! Their lack of intelligences totally blocks their mind about the consequences of getting extremely fat for nine months.

I strongly believe in abortion rights. When you force a woman OR a young girl to have a baby she does not want, how is that OK? Some of you (say) you care about the baby yet, you are more than willing to put a baby in harms way! You (say) put the baby up for adoption yet I see we still have children waiting for homes. I say go and adopt if you feel so strongly don't just preach to others. You would tell a woman in the slums to have that eighth child because (you) believe this is right. So, (you) adopt eight children...no matter what (your) financial situation. Practice what you preach. Then I will respect your opinion. I do not believe it should be used as a form of birth control. You will always have abuse of any system; the world is not perfect. But, I do know girls and women who needed to have an abortion and turned their lives around! Stop and think beyond your emotions and see the big picture. What is best for society?? Child abuse IS real.Child neglect IS real. Every child should be a wanted child. Didn't we discuss how important nurturing is?

Finally, if you still feel abortion is "murder" then (you)help find a better form of contraception. That would be the best choice now wouldn't it?

I think abortion should be an absolute last option. The ability to have an abortion should only be granted after a painstakingly difficult application process, where the outcome deems the unborn child's survival rate unfortunately low. Though this may encourage teens to take matters into they're own hands and endanger themselves, it would also instill more fear. Fear that there is no "out" if you are careless; termination would become a less sought out service and more emphasis would go toward the morning after pill, birth control, and adoption agencies. I was actually adopted, and though the thought that I could have been terminated makes me against abortion, the idea of rape tends to tip the scale. My point is this; don't outlaw it, because it's a case-by-case entity.

Abortion is definitely a touchy subject for many. I am a woman and have thought long about this and put myself in the shoes of my friends who have had it done and also considered there circumstances. I am against abortion 100%. I know things happen such as rape and if I were to get pregnant I still think the child should get a chance at life either with me or a family that would love to take care of them. I think there are so many options for women who do get pregnant but for some reason do not want or say they can’t afford a child. I know things would be tough even if I were to have a baby but the government helps so many others why not another. I still believe that the government shouldn’t have to help if you do want to keep the baby because people can make it and there are churches that will help the less fortunate. So yes I have considered all the options and I do believe that an abortion should be considered murder no matter what term in pregnancy.

Hello Class! After reading the first 9 comments, I can really play devil's advocate and see where people on both sides of the issue are coming from. I tend to lean on one side more than the other because my mother had thought really hard about not having me. You see, at the time my mother was going to divorce my pops, but my pops begged my mom not to have the abortion. She listened, and boom! Here I am. In my brief life, I've been a friend to many, chest to cry on, shoulder to lean on, ear to speak to. When you take a life through abortion, you end more than just a life, you take an infinite number of possibilities along with it. There's no telling that had a person had the chance to live, what they might have done. Could they have cured cancer or aids? Brought about world peace? Discovered the fountain of youth? You just never know, and will never know. On the other side, there are good uses for abortion. I just don't buy not being ready or "i'm scared" as an excuse. A close friend of mine and I had an unplanned pregnancy despite the fact that we used protection. I manned up and said I would support, raise, and be there for the child. She had her thoughts about abortion, but luckily, I was able to convince her to keep the child. Sadly, the pregnancy was in her tubes and had we been unable to have the procedure required to end the pregnancy, it would have endangered her life. A fetus cannot develop in a woman's fallopian tubes. So you see, there is no way that I can be all for or all against abortion. I guess I can say that I'm pro-responsibility and pro-common sense. There is no blanket answer and no laws will not stop a woman from doing what she wants to do with her body. Ever see "4 Months. 3 Weeks, 2 Days? Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. Laws can't give a woman a maternal instinct or a conscience either. A few questions to end my ramble with. Why does the woman who overturned Roe V. Wade feel that she made a terrible mistake? Why does abortion have a damaging psychological effect on many women for many years after the procedure? Where do those feelings of guilt come from? What is the counter plate to the pro-life license plate "Choose Life"?

I personally am against abortion and don’t believe it is the best option. Of course we can’t make it illegal because the moment we do the moment we do, back comes all of the hack and whack abortions of the 50’s and 60’s. I also know that the major debate that is out there now, is no longer when does life begin, but what about the women who get raped and then get pregnant. Though I’ve never had to deal with anything like that and can’t even imagine what could be going on inside a woman who had to or has dealt with that, I feel abortion isn’t the only answer. Medicine has made great strides and we now have a morning after pill. There is also no reason why we should be allowing abortion right into the third trimester. The smartest way to help curb the abortion rate rise we have would be to teach safe sex or better yet abstinence. All teens, preteens and even elementary school students hear about is sex, lust and love. A quick here’s a condom and here’s how to use it is not going to help much. Let’s stop making teen sex and teen pregnancy look so glamourous and start showing the seedy underbelly of this beast society has created. My final stance on abortion is limiting it to the first trimester, limiting the number of times a women can have an abortion, teaching better sex education and promoting abstinence.

Julie Bentley, chief executive at the FPA (Family Planning Association) said “sex and relationship education should be compulsory in every school”. I find fault with this statement by the chief executive Julie Bentley. Sex and especially relationship counseling should ideally take part in the home. This being said I don’t think sex education in the school is a bad or wrong thing. My children will learn how to behave in a relationship as an example set by their mother and father. During our child’s lives they will see love, conflict resolution, respect, affection, and all of the other warm fuzzes that make up an unbroken healthy marriage. Home should be the primary place to learn about how couples (man-woman), (man-man), and (woman-woman) interact and this includes sex. If you make sex something that is taboo, secret or embarrassing than it will be. Let’s not pass down our sexual repression to our kids. Sex is natural and fun but carries great responsibilities that can’t be dealt with until adulthood. Has anyone proposed the idea of sex education for adults? Possibly a parent teacher day to talk about sex? I feel that the state can build my roads and teach my children about arithmetic but to teach our youth about sex? Again please by all means have sex education in public schools, but let’s not rely on this as the only sex talk kids get. It is a world full of vanity sex on parade everyday at the click of a button. I feel children need to be armed to the teeth with knowledge so they can sort it out responsibly and for themselves. High teen pregnancy rates are high among the poor and woman in the family who also had teen pregnancies. This is the same demographic that typically devalues knowledge.Abortion is a horrible issue to discuss from either side. Both sides will agree that less abortion is progress. Teach the kids about the problems in society and maybe they help us help them.

I agree with "Ralsgal" and also "Ms. Krissy." I strongly believe there are way more options than aborting a baby, even if the woman is raped!Look at the statistics from rape victims found at: http://www.crisisconnectioninc.org/sexualassault/rapestatistics.htm.

1 in 15 rape victims becomes pregnant; that is 7% pregnant rape victims. That is not even including those rape victims that were raped by their husbands. My point is even if all the girls or women getting abortions are raped, it still wouldn't be the majority of abortions that are performed.

I think it is safe to say the majority of the women getting abortions is due to irresponsibility. They have them because they were not responsible with safe sex or birth control. I believe they shouldn't resort to abortion because of their "mistake". I beleive in the sayin, "You reap what you sew." So, if you decide to not be abstinent and have sex, a woman AND man should realize that the purpose of sex is to procreate, therefore, they shouldn't be suprised a baby is formed after the "FUN".

Though I have my opinion, I do not impose it on others, because I believe it is a choice; that being said, I still believe it should be illegal because abortions are not 100% foolproof; it is danger to oneself (and the baby ofcoarse). Anything illegal didn't stop anyone from doing things before, just that if it was illegal it would be greater consequences. I don't feel it could be in the same category as Prohibition. I do believe people would think twice before putting themselves in the position of having an unwanted pregnancy.

Education would also help with that, because there wasn't much education before when abortion was illegal. So, the education is an important role.

Yes, this should be a legal option. This issue is a hard one to even say that it should be considered case by case. Whose to say that one persons reason to make this choice is any better/worse than anybody elses.On the other hand, to use this option like people us a condom, as nothing more than an expensive form of birth control is nuts. I am not saying that I think that it is the right decision but I do beleive that once you make it illegal, then it becomes unregulated and that just makes it more dangerous. There would be "back-door" clinics (more than there are now) opening up and "physicians" doing procedures that they are not licsensed to do. This, in turn, could lead to more problems on top of the ones that the individual was originally going through. Keep it legal, keep it safe, let the person make the choice.

The way I see it, we have two questions here. First one is do I approve or oppose abortion in a legal sense for the population at large. To this I feel I must answer I am pro-choice. I do not feel it is my decision what another woman should do with her body. As the native proverb goes "don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins", how I am to judge another woman's choice to abort without understanding her life. The second question is would I abort a child of my own. I would like to say no, and know with certainty that my response would never change. What forces are going on in my life at the time will play a big role.

Let us all take some personal responsiblity here and ensure that the young people in our care fully understand the ramifications of unprotected sex, make sure they know the options of abstinence or contraception, and most importantly, let us make sure that contraception is accessible to our children, lest our children have to make that horrible decision about abortion.

I don't believe abortion is right, however I don't think it's completely reasonable to get rid of it all together. To me it's not right to have an abortion after a certain amount of time, maybe after the first trimester, or when it's heart is beating or after there is brain functioning. There is a time before any of this happens that I believe would be acceptable (still would'nt like it) to have an abortion. After this time you are just being unresponsible for your actions and as such you need to deal with it by having the kid. To me abortion just isn't right because you have so many options to not have a kid besides an abortion. There are many contraceptives out there and even the morning after (plan-b) pill that you can take the next day in case of an accident. However if we make it illegal all together people will still find ways of doing it behind the government and will be unsafe and unhealthy. All in all there will be extreme cases like rape that require extreme answers like abortion, but if it's just someone that is being unresponsible for their actions and wants one very late I am completely against it.

I oppose abortion. I am a person of faith in the first place but i oppose it for several other reasons as well. One of the 10 commandments is to not kill, abortion is by definition the destruction of a human embyro or fetus, the discussion as to when the baby is alive is not my place so I won't get into that. I will make an exception and if and only if the mother will die by giving birth can she get an abortion (but this is rare). Also there are many other ways to avoid abortion, birth control ie condoms, pills etc do work if used effectively. Also abstinence until the woman is ready to raise a kid is another option. Also im opposed to it because it deprives a future person from even having a chance to become an adult and experience life.

A clear understanding that can change your life and those around you-YOUR CHOICE-----------------------------------God created man in his own likeness and image (Genesis 1:27); God is a Spirit (John 4:24). A human being is a spiritual being that lives in a natural body to operate in the natural realm. God created us from dust and to dust we will return. I have heard that people do not believe that life begins in the womb but when the child takes his first breath, and I disagree with this concept. By the time the mother misses her period, the baby’s heart begins to beat. There is a little heart beat in the womb; this belief is justifying the matter to take action and abort (to end the natural process that God designed) the child and has people believing “after all the fetus is not living because it has not taken its first breath.” In order to kill something it has to be alive; the mother is living and the child is connected to the mother. Therefore, the child is living even though it is depending on the mother to sustain life through the umbilical cord. Deception comes with justification, and this belief just makes people feel better by thinking that they really are not killing a child. People use the term fetus to make it seem right but are really being deceived. God spoke through a man on earth in Genesis 2:7 saying, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” A soul is a person’s mind or intellect, and babies have a soul even in the womb. Many women get abortions without knowing the truth of the matter. Most people have abortions for social and not medical reasons. People take action without knowing the consequences or owning up to the action that lead to the consequences. Any action that a man does and there are negative consequences to it; something is not right. Sin and sickness are related; there are multiple stories and scriptures in the Bible about people’s sins being forgiven and immediately healed. The forgiven person is commanded to sin no more lest a worst thing come unto thee (John 5:14) and the situation you were in becomes seven times worse (Matt. 12: 43-45). There are many after effects spiritually, emotionally, and physically. As far as a physical or biological effect, a mother who has aborted a child has a higher risk of having an abnormal baby in the future. Having an abortion is ignorance from the truth (God’s Word) and the Bible says in Hosea 4:6 that “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The Bible also says in Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill” and whoever kills will be danger in judgment (Matt. 5:21-22). God’s system is different from the world’s natural ways; the Bible is a spiritual letter to the spirit man and death to the carnal man. The natural man thinks that killing someone is just in the natural, a physical death, but a spiritual God sees things totally different; spiritual things are foolishness to the natural man because the natural man is not spiritually discerned. The Bible teaches in 1 John 3:15 that whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life in heaven, but the good news is a person with a sincere heart can come to God (Jesus Christ) repent, forsake, and be forgiven. Another example that the Bible teacehes and shows that God’s ways are different is that a person can be dead (spiritually) but at the same time be alive (carnally), and on the other hand a person can be dead (carnally, natural body of sin, flesh) but alive spiritually. When the first Adam disobeyed God, man was cursed, and death and sickness (physically and spiritually) came onto all men that are born of the first Adam in the flesh this is why Jesus had to come, so man can be born again. At conception a fetus is considered a live human being with a living soul which last forever whether in heaven or hell. This is why we are so different from animals and do not evolve (we do not have any natural predators and statistics show that the fittest, most educated, well at their job have fewer children); animals do not have a living soul when they die they are just decomposed in the earth; they do not go anywhere after this or get another body. I encourage you to read and study (the Bible) to find truth (Titus 1:2) for yourself; these are not my words or opinion but what the word of God says. There is more to this life than just living and dying, and I surely do not want anyone to perish for lack of knowledge. If you seek, you will find. An aborted child’s soul goes to heaven and meets with its immortal body that God has for him/her, but the spiritual effect on the mother is that she is here and left with the chains of the enemy [The enemy is the flesh, yourself, and the battlefield is in the mind. When the enemy has a person in chains; he can mess with the emotions.], a guilty conscience or troubled soul, until she repents and comes to God (Jesus Christ) for Spiritual freedom. God cannot even take a person’s life. What makes you think that we have the right to take a life. God created us with a free will, and we choose to live or die, lay down our life or take it up. Just because we are given a free chioce does not mean that it will always be the right choice. God’s word is life to the spiritual man and for those who find it. Choose life spiritually and physically!!!

I will have to say I oppose abortion completely. But after our discussion in class last week, it is with sorrow. We had some very heartfelt stories for and against. One in particular about a family with genetic problems. This family was told that the unborn child had the same severe genetic disorder their other child had died from right after birth. This family chose to abort the child. Since then, I watched a program about a horrible disease called Progeria. It attacks from birth and children do not live to adolescence. One family in the program had a son with this disease. They went through an agonizing decision on whether or not to have another child. At first they decided it just wasn't an option to take the chance to watch another one of their children die from this disease. Doctors reassured them that chances would be 1 out of 8 million they would have another child with Progeria. And guess what happened. His little sister has the disease. You see, there isn't a test to take before birth to determine if the disease is present. So the decision was only whether or not to have a baby. Once that was made, they had to take RESPONSIBILITY for it! Good or bad - happy or sad-terrific or horrific. These parents were willing to deal with what ever was before them. I would love to say that there was a happy ending, but unfortunately there probably isn't. This family will have to go through a horrible time. These two beautiful children will live and die, but inspire the whole world with their courage, strength, and beauty.I believe that abortion is causing a very disturbing trend all over the world. We are becoming a people who take life for granted and not for the miracle it really is. Once that happens, we loose respect for all life not just the unborn.

I personally do not agree with abortion. I know what it is I am destroying when I allow an abortion to occur. Being male, I cannot make a personal decision on having an abortion, but being male, I also have a responsibility to do as much as possible to stop any female I am involved with from having an abortion of a child I know I fathered. I was once in a situation where a 16 year old girl was pregnant and I was asked what she and her mother should do. I told them I would not have the abortion, I would have the child. I knew the girl could still go out on her own and have an abortion, but I was not going to be the one to finance or condone that action. She decided to keep the baby and now she is so happy she did. He is 7 years old and a wonderful child. No one can tell me that they don't believe a pregnant woman is carrying a human being inside of her. Anyone who has an abortion is doing so because they do not want to deal with raising A CHILD at that stage in their life. Stop all the rationalizing and admit it. Next to suicide, abortion is the most selfish thing a person can do, and believe me, the woman who has an abortion does not forget they had it.

I am 100% against abortion. I do not care if the baby came from a rape or an undesired pregnancy. It is a human life and it deserves to be given a chance to live. I used to be pro choice, until I saw actual graphics of what it is done to the baby and after reading all the information of the process. It is not a simple process. People have all kinds of excuses, but there are solutions to almost every one of them. If the girl was rape and does not want the baby, then fine do not keep it, put it up for adoption or a family member might want it. If it was an undesired pregnancy then it is your fault for not using protection! You can do the same thing, give it up for adoption, give it to someone who might want a child and cannot have it.

Regardless of of what you believe in, life is sacred and holy. Modern society has lost this truth.

Native Americans had no problem killing animals for survival or killing human enemies who threatened to destroy their families or their way of life.

We may think of them as "savage" or "uncivilized", but they understood life.

They gave respect to the Great Spirit who ruled over all and created life, they apologized and made ceremony over deer or buffalo they killed. They appreciated that the animal whose life they taking was a living creature, and they used all of it, with no waste.

I cannot even imagine the look on one of their faces if they were here now and they saw abortion...

Abotion is against nature, it is against the Creator, and it is anti-life.

Human beings are the highest of all creation. Every scripture of every major world religion tell us that we the highest creation of God and formed in His image. Even if you are an atheist, there is no doubt that we are the supreme creation on this planet and have dominion over over all of it.

I am in no position to tell anyone what to do with their life or body.

My highest held belief and the reason I love living in America beyond any other is freedom of speech. I am allowed to say something is dead wrong. So are you.

I believe abortion is murder and nature backs me up.

Regardless of your religion or beliefs, I think we can all have at least some respect for the service of Mother Theresa who said: "It is a shame that a child must die so that we might live as we wish.".

I do not condemn any woman who has had an abortion, I know it must weigh heavily upon them; Just as things I have been party to weigh heavily upon me.

I do not judge you ladies, I love you as a brother and God loves you.

But...

I will no longer stand silent and say it is a choice as I used to believe. It is murder.

Once again, a beautiful topic to discuss. A topic that endlessly dividing people's opinion.

To be honest, I dont really know which side I am for. Recently, I have two friends who are about to be a father(both 18), and another friend who was going to be a mother(17) but had an abortion.(by the way, she had an abortion when the fetus or a baby perhaps was 5months old.(not sure if you call that fetus or a baby)). I didn't know what to say, becuase I'm not sure if I am for abortion or not. But at the end, I just agreed with her decision to cheer her up. For the two guys, I just told them to be a responsible father.

In one side, I do agree with abortion because raising a child costs a lot of money and time. And with the economy nowadays, if you do not have college diploma you are screwed! If the mother is uneducated or didnt managed to finish school, whats going to happen to her and to her baby?(Listen, Im talking about in general not just in U.S.A where government is dependble, I'm on about third world countries as well; where money is no where to be found and everyday survival is a struggle)It is not good for the baby as well as for the society. Plus, more likely the society will have another troublesome teenager when the child grows up.(obviously, thats not always the case) Thats not going to help! I think if the mother cannot secure a good future for the child, abortion is a good options. But if she can, why not let the baby see the world?!

On the other hand, my morals are telling me that abortion is unethical and people who do abortion are irresponsible.If they are foolish enough to make love with someone and didn't think about the consequences, thats just being pure irresponsible. ANd why on earth the innocent baby have to suffer for their irresponsibility. They deserve to experience the harshness of having a baby, its not a joke or fun! Its a serious commitment.

Well, I don't know where to position myself, both are correct and wrong. I think its all depend on the situation.... Maybe!?!? I want to choose side, but I dont know which one is I am for. But anyways......PEACE!

Abortion is a choice that a women has in order to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Whether by rape, incest or being too young to have the child...it is still a choice and decision that she has according to her right as a person. I do not agree or condone abortion as a quick contraceptive and I also believe that in some cases abortion should not be allowed because the person doesn't want to parent.

Abortion is a sad and lethal method of ending a life, however; it doesn't make abortion a sin. It exists because certain circumstances are not forseen and women have to make decision based on those experiences that are either traumatizing and unwanted. Abortion should not be the morning after pill...I agree that more sex education and contraceptives should be supplied and provided in a vast number to avoid further abortion and unwanted pregnancies. Yong girls should be targeted for more sex education and the understanding of pregnancy and abortion as a whole.

I would have to say that I am pro-choice even though, personally, abortion is not for me. However, abortion is legal and has already been a legal choice for young women for a long time now. To take that away now would lead to even more back alley abortion doctors with coat a hanger and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and scared confused little girls who may now not only be scared and confused, but may die from a serious infection from the back-street abortions. And yes people say that it is killing an innocent life…so does drinking and driving, but nobody is concerned on why alcohol is still legal, or drugs, or cigarettes. In the end these people have to live with their own consequences and not the consequences that they were forced into…so basically they have nobody to blame but themselves. And to live with that kind of guilt (for some) is worse than anything else they could have imagined. It will be these people who may impact society’s way of thinking by sharing their stories and may have a dramatic impact in helping to reduce abortion rates by teaching and talking about their struggles to others.

Well I feel that abortions are a commit of murder; I don’t understand how anyone could feel that taking an innocent life is an option. I know some people say, “Oh we are just not stable to have this baby”. Anyone that thinks this way knew that statement, before they began to start that time of pleasure, they knew they wasn’t stable then. So women should take the necessary caution to prevent this life from the beginning. Taking better caution would prevent any women from having to think of the option of “Abortion”“When you take the time out to conceive the enjoyment of the situation, then you should take the time out to enjoy the Life of an unexpected one.

I have comments on both sides of abortion. One, I know how abortion is done and it’s an extremely disgusting process to know and I'm sure for the doctor to do. Two, certain situation call for abortion to be done. The story my classmate told us made a good argument for abortion. The mother would have gone through losing another baby and the baby itself would have died a painful death it shouldn't have to go through. Terrible people use abortion as another form of birth control. These people should be thrown in the darkest place imaginable until they get what abortion should be meant for. Should we abolish abortion? No. Should we practice teaching better sex education in schools instead of pushing it aside because parents don’t want their children to hear something their children are bound to hear anyway? No! Talk to your kids about the use of condoms if the schools won’t. Will it help? A little bit, but a little bit is better than nothing.

I am pro choice but feel that my personal opinion on this matter is irrelivant, as should be everyone elses except a pregnant girl/woman. I personally do not understand why we have any say at all in what other people do in regaurds to a subject like this. What right do I have to tell someone they must bring a life into this world. This brings me to my next huge issue with those against abortion, the fact that from what i have heard and seen most people who oppose it do so for religious reasons, not self proclaimed moral reasonings. This is my eyes has is terrible, because not only is it essentially pushing there religious agenda on someone else, but it is doing so in a way that could really impact someones life.

I am against abortion because it goes against my personal beliefs. I believe that abortion is murder no matter what stage the development of the child is in. If someone becomes pregnant and they don't want the child or can't support it, there are other ways to get rid of the child than aborting. The parents can put the child up for adoption or put the child into foster care. By choosing one of these alternatives the child gets to live and is not punished for the for the mistakes of the parents. There are more humane ways to get rid of an unwanted child than killing it.

I do support that abortion be a legal option. I feel it is a personal choice for each woman, and should hopefully be a collective choice between an involved potential father/father-to-be and the woman. If religion is ones guiding light in their decision making process to keep or abort the child then so be it. However, religion should not influence legislation that governs whether or not it is lawful for abortions to occur. If this were to happen then we would be dealing more with a theological approach to our government than a democratic one. Everyone has their own opinions on this matter. However, one should not be condemned to be forced to have a child they are ill prepared to support and raise.

Teen pregnancy has so many socio-economical ramifications in our society such as single parenthood, lack of education due to mother's inability to continue education because of responsibility of raising a child, poverty due to this lack of education, this poverty creates environment for child where there is a great likelihood of child getting involved in criminal activity, this increases crime and cost for jails, and it goes on and on and on!

It can even create socio-economical/psychological problems spanning generations if the single mother is involved with abusive men which happens often. These men abuse (often sexually) their childen. These children are scarred emotionally and psychologically all their lives. And, often times abuse their own children in the very same way. So this can effect the family for generations and generations even.

Finally, I think that if one is forced to have a child that is unwanted, it may affect the treatment of that child by the parent, if the parent harbors some degree of resentment. The child definitely does not deserve such treatment because they had no say in their creation or the actions that led to their creation.

All possible preventative actions should be taken so abortion never even becomes on option.

**PLAN B IS A GREAT OPTION**

If something happens with a condom i.e. it breaks then you can go to any pharmacy (as long as you're 18) and purchase this emergency contraception for about $40. It has over 90% success rate if used within 24hrs after intercourse and can still be used up to about 70hrs, I believe, but it becomes increasingly less effective the more time you wait. Of course, it is only an emergency contraceptive and shouldn't be used as primary birth control.

I believe in abortion to a certian extent, mainly for the victims of rape or those that have proven to be caring a severly deformed embyro. I am not for abortion when it comes to those that do not protect themselves and are constantly careless. The morning after pill seems to be a good solution to stop abortions. It just doesn't seem as though this option has been accepted or widly used. There is a great need for a better sex education with this option replacing abortion. If more data and information was deliveried about the morning after pill and grafic clips on what really happens when you abort a child, i truly believe the morning after pill would become 1st choice over having an abortion. The abortion rate is high here in the US with most of those aborting coming from low income families, so inturn they rely on the tax payers to pick up the tab.I see a great need for the US to update the sex education classes. I saw some of the material offered to 6th graders and it appears to be the same as 20 years ago... come on now, what a joke! Schools also need to start these classes at a much earlier age and repeat them yearly not just a 1x deal. As time goes by, there are new developements on dieases, treatments and prevention plans that need to be intergraded into these sex education classes. Why do people have to make such a stink about sex education... sex is all over the media stronger than ever! Those conservatives that put up a fight for sex education, well i can just imagine what they do behind closed doors...give me a break!

I definitly am pro choice. I think that all woman should have the right to choose how they want to live their lives. Although I feel that alot of people are not responsible when it comes to being protected. I feel abortion should always be the last resort. Everyone should take the necessary procautions when choosing to have sex, using condoms, birth control, the morning after pill, and other forms of pregancy protection. There really is no reason for woman to need an abortion unless they are raped. The should be responsible enought to make sure the guy uses and condom and she should use birth control or have full knowledge of what sex intales. but we all make mistakes and I don't think we have the right to judge people on what they choose to do. If I got pregant right now, I would have an abortion because I would never want to bring a child in this world that I could not support. Now I know theres adoption but so many childern stay in foster care for most of their lives or they get stuck with foster parents that just want them for the checks. I am Pro Choice for so many reasons.

I am on the side of the fence that opposes abortion. In society today we as humans sucome to temp[taton and have sex with one another. It is simple to understand if you open your legs to invite a man inside of you it should occur that their are consequences for these actions. Whether you plan to or not have a child in the present time in your life you must understand that the life that is coming threw you is a blessing from God. I totally under stand people get raped condoms break othersforget to take their pill. We as humans must understand when life is creaated inside the womb of a woman it can create such joyful happy moments to come .So love everyone and do not hate yourself or judge yourself for what is about to come life is beautiful and ugly yet I want to witness it all and I am Sure that you do too.

I believe that in this life every human is free to choose their decisions. Everyone is free to choose whatever decision they want to make like for example, to become a homosexual, Serial Killer, Doctor, or to HAVE an abortion. I truly agree with people’s freewill, however, there are certain consequences that might come from a particular decision. Decisions that human takes have to be “parallel” to the public “moral” in order for public to accept such decision, otherwise conflict might arise. For example, a person gets arrested and put to jail if such person ends the life of another person. Sometime people have to get together and decide whether a decision should be done or not and if the majority agree with one decision the minority might get ignore. I personally agree that abortion should be led to the woman’s decision and not to the public to decide since the woman is the one responsible for the child. However, the question is, what is the case was a rape case?I heard a story of a man that had 20 kids. One of the kinds asked to the man, “Dad why did you have so many kids? Why didn’t you just have 3 or 2 sons?” The father responded, “Would you like to be the one left behind”?I believe that since everyone has the right to choose what they want in life then if we ask any kid to whether they wanted to be aborted or not; the answer is very similar among the kids. No even if the kid was born from a rape situation or a financial deficiency.

--------****************-----------So… Based on the fact that everybody have the liberty to do what they want, to solve the issue of abortion we have to ask not just the mother but also the child.---------***************------------

I do believe in abortion only reason being is that in life you can make alot of mistakes and not be able to take back what you have done. When it comes to teen pregnancy,or pregnancy in general i think that if it is a mistake that has been made, that its the only thing that you can actually go back and fix. Making mistakes you already know you can not turn back the clock and try to fix it;but with an unexpected pregnancy you definitely can fix it by getting the abortion. Many people believe that you made the bed now you have to lie in it, but if you made the bed what is so wrong with wanting to "make it up" a different way? Theres nothing wrong with trying to have some "fixable" fun. Everything you do in life has consequences,this is something that yes you do have consequences to face, but at the same time you can turn back the hands of time, and fix your mistake.

I support a womans right to have a choice of getting an abortion. Although some women do take that right and use it to their advantage, by using it as another form of birth control which i dont agree with. But there are too many cicumstances in which someone may need to have an abortion such as health issues or in situations of rape or something of that nature. Also birth control and contrceptives dont always work, so someone in that situation where they tried to be as safe as much possible may not be finacially ble to support a child may look towards an abortion as a last resort. So i guess i am for it for certain circumstances.

i think this is a tough question for most people to answer. i dont support abortion but i dont oppose it either. im on the fence with this situation. i do believe that abortion is murder. i dont think its right to kill a baby that can have the potential to be someone amazing in this world. personally i know i would never do it. i just dont have it in me to kill a baby(considering i want to work in the nicu), i would just give it up for adobtion if i knew i coundnt support it. as for the girls who do have abortions, i can understand why they would go with that option. getting an abortion because you got raped is understandable because they probably dont want to be reminded of what happened for 9 months. something i dont understand is why some girls get an abortion because they dont have money to raise and take care of it...so where do they get the money for an abortion? i know its a pretty expensive procedure. unless they do it in a manner that is unsafe but why would they want to put themselves in danger like that? i just dont get it.over all i dont think aborition should be illegal. we as women deserve the choice to have one or not. afterall, we are the ones who carry a child and go through giving birth, it should be a womens choice to decide what to do with the child.

I’m against abortion. No matter what has a happened or what you wish didn’t happen, it happened and you need to take responsibility for what happened. Having an abortion is just like killing a anyone else, only now they’ve made it legal. That might help some people’s conscience (that it’s not against the law for a certain amount of time) but in no way would that ever help me. I don’t care what happened. He told you this but he did something else. He told you, not right now. You’ve been raped and don’t want a baby in you that wasn’t by your choice. Even if that happened, say I got raped, in no way would I ever give up that kid. He’s just as much as a human as I am. Just give him time and you can see that he is alive no matter what doctors, lawyers, or laws say. If God didn’t want him to live for whatever reason then he would take care of that, not ME. In class we talked about not when does human life start, but when does life start. I think that man should have looked around some more for that answer. I can accept a sperm and an egg are life, fine. But by the time that they are out of the bodies they are dead. That was their life cyle, however short it was. But when the sperm invades the egg that’s when human life starts. And when does life start, I don’t know what he is referring to. The world is life; the grass, trees, dogs, people. Life started when God made us. If there was a chance that I might die in giving birth to my child I still would not be able to give him up. God would take care of me. He knows my time, my body, and what people can or cannot take. In the bible it says- God will not give you more than you can handle. I believe in that, and whatever happens to me will be for his glory. Abortion is against every fiber of my being. If someone did get an abortion, I wouldn’t hate them. I’d be disappointed, hurt, and shocked, but I’m not going to cut you out of my life because you did that. I would accept you for who you are and what you do or did, but that doesn’t mean I would condone those actions. I know that if abortions were not legal it would still be going on just on a more dangerous scale because people who are not experienced and trained would be doing those operations and it wouldn’t turn out right a lot of the time, but that still doesn’t mean that I like it. I you absolutely can not deal with a kid in your life then give it up for adoption at least, and don’t reproduce again. Not if you’re not ready to take the responsibility to take care of that kid. If you can’t handle it then keep things where they are suppose to be, and not making it harder for the kids who were given away by the parents who didn’t want them. I’m against abortion and I sincerely hope one day people won’t even consider abortions for their kids that are alive no matter how long or short you have been pregnant.

Oh! I missed typed something. "Should we practice teaching better sex education in schools instead of pushing it aside because parents don’t want their children to hear something their children are bound to hear anyway? Yes!"

I am against abortion. I believe in personal responsibility, and if someone makes a decision, then they must live with the consequences: good or bad. If the mother does not want to raise the child she has many alternative choices instead of abortion, such as adoption or the morning after pill. I understand the argument that it is the mother’s right to choose whether or not she wants to deliver a baby, but I also think it is the mother’s right to choose whether to have sex or not, and I also believe you must defend the fetus’ right to life. It is not the child’s fault and they should not be punished for a decision they did not make. All though I do not believe in abortion, I do understand and support a woman’s decision to have an abortion in cases such as incest or rape. Other than that, abortion is not the answer.

I think that it is a woman's choice as to what she does with her body. If a woman is not allowed to choose what happens to her fetus, she will find a more drastic alternative option. If you say that women can only have abortions if they are raped, what will be the next special circumstance? If one situation is allowed, then all may be allowed. Also, if abortions aren't allowed, adoption will be even harder to do then now. With the girls that can't give their babies up for adoption, their child will most likely grow up unwanted and have a harder life than other children. For some people abortion is the right option, and they should be allowed to choose it.

I’m not completely against abortion because I think that under certain situations it can be an option. An example of it would be if a woman is raped or if a baby is being born into extreme poverty where there aren’t many chances for the baby’s survival. Also I think that abortion would not be such a big issue if sex wasn’t exploited as much on television and it would be a great thing if they taught teens more about sex. Also parents should be more comfortable with speaking with their kids about sex because this helps the child feel more comfortable and be more careful with sex.

I honestly can say that the only reason why I would be opposed to it is because I truly disagree with women who use abortion as birth control. It is not fair and if they are not ready to take on the responsibilities of being an adult then they shouldn't act like one. If you are not ready to face the consequences of having sex then don't do it. They are some women who say that their birth control failed, I personally can't say about pills, but condoms, just be honest, I have been using them for 12 years and not once have a condom broke in the middle of intercourse. I have friends that have the same experience, so stop using that as an excuse. I have heard women saying that they want to abort just because they are not ready and they want to live, and this honestly bothers me. I am a teen mom, I became pregnant when I was 17, plus my pregnancy was killing me, I developed serious liver complications and not once I considered abortion as a solution or as a free pass to get out of that situation. On the other hand, I can understand the decision of terminating a pregnancy because of health problems, or if that fetus is sick with some serious illness. Every case is different and although I try not to judge women who decide to terminate their pregnancies just because, I can't help but think in all those women out there that are dying to have a child and can't. At the end of the day, I wouldn't do it, but it is the right of a woman to decide what they want to do.

I do not support abortion but i do feel like there should be excepts. i believe that there should be excepts for rape or incest. i dont think it is right to kill a human just beacause you dont want them. if you think your mature enough to be having sex then you should be mature enough to be having a baby. and if your not then you shouldnt be having sex. and there are may ways to decrease the chance of having a baby: condoms, birth control, etc. that how i feel abot abortion.

People can say what they want about abortions, but when the situation actually faces them their beliefs can change. Many are against an abortion because of the fact they do not wish to end an innocent life and this is true, the fetus did nothing wrong, but when pregnant girl's significant other leaves them or forces her to have one the belief changes. Money comes into perspective. The fact that a minimum wage job and only having WIC cover the baby for the first year does not cut it. I believe in pro choice. Abortions can seriously depress the girl afterwards and make her wonder what is worth living for, but things do happen for a reason and it is possible that some things happen to show teenagers that they are not ready for such responsibility o having a child. Girls that are raped are especially intitled to an abortion if they choose. The baby was not conceived with someone she wanted to have intercourse with so not only did she have to go through that horrific ordeal, but she would have to relive it every day if she had the baby by looking in the baby's eyes and knowing it wasn't meant to be. I believe in a situation like that it would cause more depression on the girl then if she had chosen not to get an abortion. Every person is entitled to their own opinion and beliefs and since abortions are still legal people will go own with it whether there are a hundred protestors or not.

I strongly disagree with abortion. I believe that abortion should be an absolute last option. How can the killing of innocent babies be legal? If a woman makes a mistake and does not want to give birth to her child she should in know ways have an abortion. It was her fault to begin with and why should the baby have to suffer for the consequences that the mother has made. A baby should never die because of a mothers mistake. There are so many adoption homes in the world today if anything at least the mothers should put their child in an adoption home at the least. Adoption is a very horrible thing thing and it should be illegal throughout the world. Adoption is just a way for a mother to be able to deal with what she had brought upon herself and and it makes there life easier by killing the baby. I hate abortion and i hope that one day this horrible process of abortion will cease.

This is a very heated topic and one that many people think has a right and wrong stance. However, even though I believe abortion does kill an innocent life I have to side on in favor of abortions. As was mentioned in earlier posts and talked about in class, there can be no right or wrong, in a case where it might have been conceived by rape, or where the pregnancy risks the woman’s life, or even if the child would be born without kidneys and die a short time later anyway. Why have the mother go through all the emotions of the birth just to lose the child. I don’t like the fact abortion is being used as a main form birth control, or even as a backup if the others didn’t work. I’ll end it here and make it quick. However, do think of this, why is it that only the woman has a say in whether or not to have one? There have been 2 cases that I can recall where both parties said if they happened to get pregnant it would be aborted, and then the woman changed her mind and wouldn’t release the man of his obligations as a father. Now that man is stuck with paying child support. As much as you might hear about how “little” child support might be, my younger brother pays over 60% of his monthly pay to his (when he was in High School) “baby momma”. Child support might be small to a person pulling in over $40K a year. But for a kid who didn’t graduate from High School it’s ruined his life and restricted opportunities for him to do many other things. Ironic thing about my brothers situation though, the girl wanted to abort it too. Her parents made her keep it specifically to get child support. She keeps in contact with us and let us knows everything her parents (and grandparents) had to say about it. Saying you’ll abort, and then deciding to keep it just to get money for the next 18 years or however long. That seems to me just as wrong as falsely claiming a rape charge.

I absolutely disagree with abortion! Nowadays, younger girls use abortion for birth control which is completely irresponsible. If you are mature enough and ready to have intercourse, you should be responsible enough and put yourself on some type of birth control. Yes, they're are situations where women get raped and unfortunate things happen, but just because someone does something wrong to you, why would you go and do the same thing? If it wasn't wrong then why would this be such a big issue. And I would like to understand why people say the child is not yet a child because it cant survive without the mother or isn't a child until it takes its first breath of life, but then why if someone murders a pregnant woman, why is it two accounts of murder? Why not overlook the fetus since it is not yet living? There are many people that can not have children, and would love to adopt not one, but many! Overall, I just don't agree.

I'm definitely in the middle of the road on this topic. On one hand abortions take life (which I do not consider to be right), and on the other hand having a child can be detrimental to the well being of both the parents and the child. Prevention depends upon education, and the availability of medical services. I believe that the rate of abortions can be traced back to these two factors. For one, there is not a substantial amount of sex education in America today. Secondly, how do these young girls get birthcontrol? The answer is that most of them can't without their parents consent or knowledge of it. I also believe that prevention is the key in reducing abortion rates. The subject of abortion is a large gray area period. In other words, I agree or disagree depending upon the situation. One thing I do agree with, is the fact that abortions should not be allowed after the first trimester.

I believe that abortion is just a way for young girls to correct a bad decision in their life and in doing so they are willing to take a life. In my opinion abortions should not be performed unless a young woman is raped and becomes impregnated. In the case of a girl being raped she does not have the choice in engaging into sexual intercourse thus they should be given the choice to abort the child or not. Abortion has always been a very touchy topic, just like religion or politics. Many Americas across the nation are either for or against the practice and a great majority want to focus on making abortions illegal. Honestly, even though I personally am not for abortions I think that the decision should be left up to the individual. As for making abortions illegal, it would only worsen the situation. For example, if you look back into American history when the U.S. established prohibition (alcohol was illegal) it still did not stop people from getting or drinking alcohol and if anything it became known as the worst era in America. So even though making abortions illegal seems like a good idea I believe that people will still find ways to get abortions illegally. In the long run this decision would cause a big dent not only in American society but mortality and livelihood as well.

I've never completely grasped what exactly happened during an abortion until last semester when I researched abortion as a topic for a speech I would present.While researching, I saw pictures of the mangled babies body (even if you call it a fetus, it is still a baby). The pictures were extremely gruesome. The techniques used to "dispose" of the unborn baby were horrifying. After I read each technique, my jaw dropped more and more. Many of us don't even know what happens during an abortion! Please, do your research, just to find out!!!During the research, I read haunting stories of how so many girls regretted their abortion(s). I still remember one story that practically brought me to tears. The girl had an abortion years ago, but still, she sometimes screams out "I'm sorry!... I'm sorry." Feeling nothing but guilt, and hatred toward herself.I have never heard a positive report from someone who has had an abortion.With all of those things known, all I can say to people is use a frikin' condom, take frikin' birth control pills, and (here is the best suggestion): KEEP YOUR GOSH DANG FRIKIN' PANTS ON!We might have been created to delight in sexual acts, but not out of the context of marriage...I am against abortion, 100% (and I try my absolute best not to have double standards on that statement).

Abortion is a very strong topic to be supporting or to be against. I believe in some cases abortion should be allowed depending on the situation. If the case was that it was a mistake, abortion should not be allowed. Things happen toward choices we make so we must deal with our consequences. But if it was some health issues, then abortion should be allowed. Why should a human being suffer living with a health issue. The choice should be for the parents on whether they would be responsible for the situation.It should be a choice from the parents of the child that would have to be supportive and understand the responsiblities they would have to face. So as you can see, I am against and support abortion for special circumstance at the same time.

I oppose abortion. Although I am a guy and I do not really go through that situation I just do not feel like it is the right thing to do. To me it is like killing a life that could have a chance to share what all humans have. It is just wrong to me. But I do feel like there are exceptions to it though, for example if you are raped and become pregnant I feel like you should be able to have an abortion. Also if there is some complication to where either you or the developing baby could be harmed or killed then you should be able to have an abortion. Even though this is my opinion it all comes down to what the women wants. It is her body and no one else’s. She decides what she wants in her life. but I do oppose it and I feel as if it is the wrong thing to do but that is just me.

Do I think abortions are wrong? Personally yes, I would never get one done unless something was really wrong with me or the baby and in order to survive I needed to. I think that a baby is supposed to be this miracle of life and to get ride of a miracle is depressing and horrifying. I wouldn’t judge anyone who got it done. Everyone has their own reasons and everyone is entitled to there own views and options and women should be allowed to do what they want with their bodies. When I was younger I had a different idea about the situation but after growing up and looking up information about it and learning exactly what happens I’m not the first one to step up to the plate.

I am for it being the woman's decision on whether to abort the child or not. Certain situations the child should be aborted like rape or if the mom is a crack head or something and the child will be born with a disability. But I also think that we need to educate teens about sex education better in America. I know I only had like 1 class on it and it wasn't very detailed. So the only way I learned was through experience. Lucky enough I learned to always wear protection and never got any girlfriend or my ex wife pregnant. I think all girls should be taking birth control pills if they plan on having sex even if the guy still wears a condom. I know my older cousin had an abortion. Then like a year later she got pregnant again and had that child. She's raising him as a single mom and doing fine with it. So adoption should also be considered, even though it is very tough to adopt a kid in America. I have 2 step sisters who had to adopt chinese kids because they were unable to adopt kids here in America. I didn't understand it but I guess it's really expensive and time consuming here to adopt.

I support freedom of choice. There are many reasons why a woman may choose to have an abortion and I don't feel I have the right to impose my beliefs on anyone else. There are many other options out there but whose to say those options are, or where, available to that individual. Everybody has a story and we don't know their stories. I remember taking a call a few years ago where a 19 yr old was having an abortion and during the procedure the doctor lacerated her bowel. I remember thinking this girl's life will never be the same and I felt sorry for her. It's unfortunate that abortion is on the rise but we should ask ourselves why and work to resolve those issues.

I both support and oppose abortion. I support it because there are some teens that have certain situations in which they feel they must have an abortion, example rape victims. No one can argue with them about having an abortion unless they have been in there situation to argue against abortion. Abortion should always remain an option because do we want them to go to streets for an abortion were they can be killed in the process or later on because they went to someone with no experience and the right environment and tools. I'm also against abortion because I believe everyone including the child should have a chance to experience life. Who are we to say they should die when they can't even argue it. I mean we put people to death every day but they have a voice to say that they want to live and argue for their right to live.While these unborn children get killed because the parent didn't want to at least carry them till birth to give them to a family that wants a child. I'm also against it because some women abuse this right to abortion. They pregnant over and over again want the abortion because they want to continue what they are doing. That seems selfish to me because there are women who cant give birth and want a child so badly yet these women are aborting the child instead of just waiting to give them to the baring women that wants a child.So i guess even though i support abortion as an option for teens and women is so they don't end up hurting themselves also. Yet I'm more strongly against it because I believe no man or god has a right to decide who dies or live when that person or unborn gave no voice to the decision.

I am 100% against abortions. Thats the worst thing a pregnant women can do. You do the action , you have to pay the consequence. If you don't want to get pregnant then don't have sex, and if you want to have sex then use a condom, thats what there made for. Why should someone else die for something you do? Your going to kill a inocent baby because you couldn't keep your legs closed? Everyone knows the consequences that can happen when you have sex and just becuase you can have a abortion doesn't mean you can go have sex with no condom and get pregnant. If you have to have sex then the least you can do is use a condom. Even in cases where a rape has occured, its still not okay to get an abortion. How do you know your child will not succeed in life. Can you tell the future? You should never under any circumstances kill a baby because of something you did , thats just being selfish. Even if you can't raise a baby, there are alot of adoption agencies out there, people that are not as lucky as you are , want to adopt babies. I am against abortions all the way, I will never ever get an abortion.

Ok this topic i'm sure is sensitive to most where as to others there is there opinion and nothing can change that. where as myself i used to be against abortion but upon talking with other people who have been through it and know how it feels and things of that nature just to see in their eyes the pain they had to suffer not only physically but mentally as well. but as far as im concerned the decision is entirely upon the person at hand and i feel it is up to NO ONE else to change or make that decision otherwise, unless there is some type of complication with keeping it or aborting it. just as we talked about in class who's decision but their own is it to make for someone else with how they live their life whether it be at 13 or 30 if you think that being too young and having a child which i agree with yes bu aborting that unborn child with out giving it a chance at life i feel is wrong. there are SO many alternatives and people are taking abortion as the easy way out or even to their advantage when the life of your self and some one else is involved it is anything but a game.

Wow, this is quite an interesting discussion. I appreciate reading the many opinions and points on the subject...

I personally oppose abortion. I don't believe anyone but God has the right/choice to give or take life. As I mentioned in class, I know someone who had multiple abortions and now really regrets them. They took a MAJOR toll on her physical body (now that she is married, it has been extremely difficult for her to conceive and give birth to children) and her emotions. Her life since then has been transformed dramatically (thanks to God), but she has to live with the consequences of her past decisions. :(

I've also heard a lady named Pam Stenzel speak about how "Sex has a Price Tag" - an excellent tool for sex education. Her mother was a victim of rape and chose to put her baby up for adoption (rather that to abort), and for this reason Pam now has life.

What really saddens me about all this is the fact that there are so many unwanted pregnancies in the world. So many people are choosing the casual, cheep, and counterfeit version of sex rather than being willing to wait for the rich, real version (which is found in a God-honoring love relationship).

I believe that when sexual activity is reserved for a pure and sacred setting such as the marriage bed, it is a sweet fairy tale beginning to a beautiful, lasting, fulfilling, romantic relationship. Great sex is not meant to be the act of animals, but the physically lived out love poetry of a prince and a princess. I highly recommend abstinence until marrying "the one" with whom you are committed to forever. It is at such a time when two can give selflessly of themselves to one another without shame or regret! To my boyfriend and I, that is something worth waiting for (and we’ve been going out for 2 years)! We have established boundaries in our relationship because we believe that God cannot and will not give that which is precious, valuable, and eternal (the best version of sex) to those who treat it as if it were ordinary and mundane.

Of course if everyone adopted this philosophy, abortion and STIs would be practically nonexistent – now there’s something to think about.

For more information on the “great sex” of the counterrevolution, I recommend checking into a book called “Meet Mr. Smith” by Eric and Leslie Ludy...it's fantastic!

I hate to say it, but I agree with abortion. I believe women should have a choice. What if she was raped by one of her family members?(As horriable as it sounds, in this day and age it happens.) Or a homeless diseased infested person? What would she do if the child wasn't normal from incest? It would change her life dramatically. She may not be able to live with it.

I believe they should be checked and asked before the abortion. I don't agree with any female walking into the clinic with no reason to get one. It should be ruled out to certain situations. Because she was dumped or cheated on by some guy that shes preganat by, is not a good enough excuse. There are consequences people have to face. Some of us just have to live up to our actions.

I appreciate the variety of attitudes and the points of views expressed.Let me recapture a few things. It was said that in class it was discussed when life begins. Actually what was discussed was the difference between "human life" and "human person". There are many disagreements among biologists, theologians, ethicists, doctors, geneticists as to when a human person begins. Not as to when life begins.

Second, I wish to point out, that although we all preach to the younger generation about having protection, we all know at the same time, from personal experience quite often, that we are far from perfect. Often, if the circumstances are ripe, we can also be dumb. When hormones take over, intelligence and wisdom are out of the window. This is how the majority of homo sapiens behave.

Third. Babies given up for adoption do not necessarily find a loving family. Families put requirements. Worse, they are read so many "concerns" or "preferences" (as the adoption agency wants to protect itself against negative reports later on) when they get on a list that eventually the whole process gets stalled. While everyone on both sides (adoption agency) and prospective parents) decide how to "improve services" the newborn grows up in an institution until he is too old to be wanted. You see parents don't want babies prone to meth, alcohol, genetic problems, various diseases or concerns (and since they may be worried about a possible agression gene, how do you think they will react to a rape situation?). And if the majority of teen moms come from a poor social setting in which we find mre disease and more crime... well, I am not sure what the numbers are but I guess the "concerns" are more serious for their case.

Also many do not want a baby from another race. It is not an alternative solution made in heaven.

I hope you don't translate my words in any other way than the one it is meant to be: Which is, adoption is a hellish process that leaves quite a few newborns in institutions and later ships them to foster care.

A personal example. Last semester I was interviewed by Big Brother Big Sister so I could become a mentor to a child in need for a mentor and an adult role model. I was asked what preferences I had. Boy, girl, white, black, hispanic, grade, you name it... I kept saying no preference to speed things up. It took them two and a half months to match me with a child. As if there is no abundance of children out there.

Suppose I did have a preference. How long do you think it would take them? For ever? Therefore just by asking this question about preferences, they damage their own mission.

Personally I am not for abortion.. although I absolutly agree its a womens choice. I feel alot of people use abortion as an easy way out. Seriously everytime someone has sex specially unprotected they know theres possibility of a consequence hence a baby. People should take better responsibility for there actions. I don't know everyones situation so i can't judge everyone, but for majority of people who have sex, end up pregnant and just don't want to deal with it or aren't financially stable so they just abort it I feel is absolutly worng! Get the morning after pill, take birth control so be safe, use condoms, or dont have sex! If people would be more careful the rate of abortions would probably decrease.

Also.. although im against it I know there are certian circumstances such as someone being raped, or a chance the mother could die if having the baby etc but out of all the abortions happening today realistically how many do you think are comming from thoes circumstances?? Probably not many. Most are probably from poor decision making, people having unprotected sex and so fourth.

This is something that is hard to talk about becuase it is a very personal choice. Also someone has yet declaired when a life begins, at conception or at birth or is it when there is a heart beat. Yes you should always use protection but you can fall in that precent that you are now pregnant.I am for abortion. I dont like it at all but i think it should be leagal for certian situations. It should deffamitly be the last possible option for someone. Rape is the biggest issue for this. People who are rapped should not have to fallow through with a pregnace, it sucks to think of it this way but it is an everyday reminder of what happened to you. Eveny if you give the baby up for adoption you still are reminded for 9mon. of what happened. I dont think everybody should be able to get an abortion. There should be rule or guildlines on how is aloud to have an abortion. Drug addicts cant be trusted when pregnant, this kindof goes into play with should you be licensed to parent, or be pregnant.

I oppose abortion. I do not believe in it what so ever. I would like for abortion to be illegal, but it will never be. Even if abortion was to become illegal people would still have abortion illegally and they could die because they are not going to be using proper tools. There many things people can use to prevent themselves form getting pregnant. Everyday there are many commercial on birth control methods. plus these method of birth control are way cheaper than an abortion. There is a morning after pill people can take. They know they had sex, so if they know there is a possibility they might get pregnant. they should not wait to get pregnant and then get an abortion. I think pregnant teens get an abortion because they probably have no one to help them out m=and they are scared of what people will say, think, and do. Some of these teens were raise in a religious family so the pressure for them to get an abortion is high because of there religion. plus some people do not believe in birth control. The process of getting an abortion is horrible. I have seen pictures of how they tear up the fetus into to pieces. Those fetus had a two legs, two arms, A head, eyes, brain, mouth, and a HEART BEAT!!!! that person is alive no matter how you look at it.

In my opinion I do not impose it on others, because I believe it is a choice; that being said, I still believe it should be illegal because abortions are not 100% foolproof; it is danger to oneself (and the baby of course). Anything illegal didn't stop anyone from doing things before, just that if it was illegal it would be greater consequences. I don't feel it could be in the same category as Prohibition. I do believe people would think twice before putting themselves in the position of having an unwanted pregnancy. I think God created us with a free will, and we choose to live or die, lay down our life or take it up. Just because we are given a free choice does not mean that it will always be the right choice. God’s word is life to the spiritual man and for those who find it.

Wow well this topic never seems to stop popping up in our society and it probably never will. I can honestly say i am prolife when it comes to abortions because i feel that if a girl is raped than she should have the right to terminate the pregnancy but in other situations I feel that women should be limited and recorded on how many abortions one is allowed to have. I feel it should be a limit of 2 abortions per woman because there are so many women who have had countless numbers of abortions for the simple fact that they can not take the responsibility on using contraceptives or just down right keeping their legs closed!!! Its redicuous how many women abuse the fact that we have abortion clinics and run to them everytime they get knocked up, i believe after the limited amount of abortions the women should be forced to have the baby and if they don't want it then they should just give it up for adoption for someone who does and will appreciate the child.

Abortion is a very serious matter but I am on the border-line when it comes to this point. People that have sex and dont use some sort of protestion, know the consiquences and they found there way into that situation. I dont support abortion because I believe it is killing a perosn but in the matter of rape or something serious like that then to a certain point it could be an option. But as much as im against it. It may always be an option in the u.s so if it is allowed it should have certain terms and conditions. After a certain number you should not be able to abort anymore. And if you decide to do it it should be within a resonalbe time, no more than 2 months after conception.

I am a pro-choice abortion supporter for several reasons. There are those women in high school, or sadly enough in middle school that end up being young teenage mothers in my opinion messing up their lives. At thirteen my main concern was to go to school, and hang out with friends everyday. If I had a child at the time I would need a job to provide for my new family, and less time for school. Many drop out early especially when the number of children increase. Another reason I am pro-choice is due to the fact that there are rape pregnancies, and I ask how could you bring up a family based on a lie. The mother may even end up hating the child because they may resent them for screwing up her life with their presence. The final reason would be simply that to me your not killing a child. Once someone is on this Earth then they are here, and human. Before that to me they are a fetus, or even just another part of you that can be gotten rid of like a finger.

I support abortion rights. I also agree that a certain point, abortion is completly horrible and wrong, but I dont think abortion should be illegal just because some people disagree with abortion rights. Like the abortion act in the UK, people vote on those topics and the majority rules.

There are some occasions like rape and being unfit for parenthood that are obvious reasons to have abortions legal. A lot of you say "let them have the kids , they should of kept their legs closed." What does that mean for the child and for the family? most teenage pregnant women will usually end of single or divorced leaving her to take car of the child. what kind of life is that for the girl and the child? No amount of praying and well wishing will help. you all are just allowing continuing viscious circle that comes around and criminals and losers will amass.

Education people, EDUCATION is everything. we know and heard of pre-teens having sex so why not educate them? you educate them about smoking, why not sex? If you dont you are setting kids up for failure or worse.

some of you say abortion is murder. hypocrites! war amongst other things kill more people(men, women and children) then abortion. why are you guys protesting against stupid wars??? did you guys know there are other ways to abort a child and not just that horrific story you hear about "destroying a fetus?" You should all go research and educate yourselfs.

It is a fact that and embryo/zygote is only cells similar to the the skin cells of your arms or any other part of your body? the embryo /zygot looks like anyother mammal before the 3rd tri-mester. at a certain point it because a disgusting process like when your close to the time of your childs birth.

Honestly I am totally against abortion for me personally. I know in today’s society more and more younger women are getting pregnant. Is this due to lack of protection, self- confidence, or rape???? Every ones case is different and therefore everyone should have the choice to do what they want to do. However I think that if you are going out and having sex regaurdless if your using protection or not… you obviously know the consequences of what can happen from having sex and I think you should deal with it responsibly. I don’t think that every time you have an ooops and get pregnant you should go have an abortion like its no harm! There are many other options other than abortion!!! So many women are unable to have children and all they can do is adopt, so why not give your baby up and let it be a miracle in someone else life!?!

I oppose abortion. Even when it comes to rare events like rape, I oppose abortion. yes, it's rather unsentimental, but so is the killing of an innocent life. Even when girls are raped and they face the thoughts of hurt by carrying the child of the man that raped them, I do believe it is more burdensome to live life knowing they you killed a child. I am not even concerned with how or when an abortion takes place. It's an abortion! I do understand the termination of a pregnancy if the child is certain not to function well enough to live at least a half way normal life.Honestly, I am now rethinking what I wrote as far as a young girl being raped. All of my views are based on my religious and moral beliefs. However, if I had a daughter I don't feel that I would want her to carry that child.Moreover, only a small percentage make up the number of abortions for the previously mentioned occasions. There are to many contraceptives to keep allowing innocent lives to be thrown away because of an accident or mistake! Some argue that these children will be born unwanted, and live reckless and meaningless live, but just as it is with God and our governmental system, there aren't too many ways to justify murder..........& definately no way to justify the killing of the innocent!

I for one oppose abortion, because I feel that it is inhumane. I feel that if you didn’t want to have a child than you shouldn’t have had sex. Everyone deserves a chance to live, and to me abortion is murder, you are still killing another person; whether you consider it a fetus or not they still should have a chance, just the way you did.There are other options besides killing a baby, there are plenty and I mean PLENTY of people in this world that can’t have kids on their own and would love to adopt, or you can always consider a close relative. The only way that I feel abortion is in any way close to legal is if a girl was raped, and got pregnant that way, because it was not her choice, and she should not have to raise a baby that will remind her everyday what happened to her, and then have to explain to them where there dad is when they get old enough. ABORTION IS WRONG and I STRONGLY OPPOSE IT!

I do not support abortion, with regards to one cogent exception. I am well aware of the fact that there has been and continue to be an ongoing debate about, “At what point does life begin?” but I personally believe that life begins well before conception. I consider abortion to be the ending of something that is not only living but also growing.

Many consider abortion to be a given right to women to take the life that is growing within them, but abortion is murder. If a woman chooses to have an abortion and end the life that has just begun to grow, that woman is supposedly exercising her rights of being a woman. If that same woman forcible ceases the life of that child at the age of 2, 5, 10, 14, or 17, etc. then the woman is considered to have murdered her child. As the infamous Mother Teresa once said, “If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people to not kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”

One of the detrimental reasons for abortion being illegal is that we have to realistically think about, “What type of life will this unwanted child lead?” If a woman has no choice but to keep a baby once it is born adoption is an option, but there are certain circumstances in which foster children are not always placed with the right families and the parents, siblings, other family members or even the child does not accept the situation. Brining a child into this world requires great responsibility and if the mother or parents refuse to give that human being the attention and provisions necessary for life, then the child might lead a life that may cause a cyclical effect of that individual needing but unable to have an abortion. However, just because a child is unwanted does not mean that the individual does not have the ability to break away from the cyclical lifestyle and achieve great and commendable things. Who are we as human beings to judge and predetermine the potential of another human being, a life, an unborn fetus, a living organism?

The one exception that I mentioned earlier is when an innocent woman is raped. I strongly believe that a woman that is forcible placed into circumstances like this should have the option of having an abortion. When a woman is wrongfully forced to bring a child into this world, without the ability or resources of taking care of this newborn baby, the child and mother will both inexorably suffer.

The epitome of my opinion is that I do not support abortion and I believe that abortions should be illegal, but abortions should also be available to those woman that have been raped, wrongfully or forcible put into situations in which they became pregnant.

Well, I guess if you put it in terms of black and white, such as having to choose whether to support or oppose abortion, I suppose that I support abortion. However, abortion isn't a black or white issue. It is an issue that has many shades of gray. There are extenuating circumstances that might call for an abortion, such as harm to the mother or rape cases. But there are also many selfish reasons out there for getting abortions, like a woman just not wanting the baby. The morality of the subject cannot be a "one size fits all" solution, because everyone is going through different situations. It comes down to the situation and the responsibility of the mother.

I, be of mind body and soul, believe woman do have rights. A woman should have the choice to terminate early pregnancy if need be. There is nothing more harmful than bringing a child into the world that was not wanted. But on the contrary others may say why not place the child up for adoption where someone could provide and care for. I see their point but why are they not adopting the thousands if not millions of children over seas that have nothing to live for. Who are dying everyday. Why not save them? They need more support than someone that has not even taken their first few breathes yet. You have to consider all factors; what if the mother used before she ever knew she was pregnant, the baby was already at risk for mental illness. What if they were not financial ready? Say the baby did have mental issues, who could she/they (couple) afford the medical bills alone? What if the parent(s) were in school? How could they afford both: raising a child and school? The cost of raising a child ranges anywhere from $250,000 and up. The topic of abortion has always been a hot topic even with political parties. The world is divided and I believe will always. We all have a right to our own opinion but I don’t believe people should judge others by what they may have done or choice to do. They may not know the whole story.

Sex Education is extremely important and should be implied early on. If child were fully well versed on the pros and cons of sex, they may not be such an increase over the years. If people would stop shying anyway from the subject and face reality maybe parents can stop their child (ren) from performing such procedures at such a young age. There probably are some offenders that abuse the termination of pregnancy but what if there was a program that counsels the parent before/after the procedure, would that be enough to stop the habitual offenders who repeatedly abuse the decision ?

According to all the religious belief an abortion is prohibited except this situation: Abortion could be allowed for a women's health sake, and that too when properly suggested by some responsible specialist physician. Seeking abortion for no good reason at all, and saying that mother or father just does not want the baby is inhuman and cruel thinking.Why we have high rate of abortion among young teenagers? Because I believe they are still kids; they are not mature enough physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, so they end up having abortion. I believe in our society adults or parents need to educate their kids and it is important to teach them what is right or wrong and have some fear of God. I know many of you already seen abortion pictures but if you have not seen please view them you will be horrified. I support abortion only religious point of view which I have mentioned earlier; otherwise I disagree! A person should be responsible for his or her own choices and actions. Why some one else has to pay the price?

I am pro choice. While it is unfortunate that some people do use abortion instead of contraceptives to avoid having unwanted children, it is a better alternative to mistreating, abusing, or maybe killing that child after it is born. There are other reasons people have abortions but the bottom like is to terminate an UNWANTED pregnancy. As harsh as it may sound, it may be easier to deal with the regret afterward than it would be to deal with that child for a lifetime. At one time, abortion was illegal. That did not stop women from seeking out and having abortions. The result was sometimes death or the inability to ever have children. How is this fair just because you make a decision that the best thing for you and/or the child would be that you do not go through with the pregnancy. Not everybody who has an abortion is an irresponsible, uncaring monster. Sometimes, for whatever PERSONAL reason, having a baby would NOT be a good thing. Parenthood is lifelong and lifechanging and having a baby doesn't necessarily mean the change will be for the better. If you are in a bad situation or a bad place in your life, a baby will not necessarily make it better.

You know its difficult to take sides in my oppinion. As much as it sounds wrong to me, i have never experienced such intense situations such as being a pregnant teen. As much as to some people abortion may sound terrible, who are we to make such extreme choices for someone elses personal life. if they feel they do not want the child, then early in the pregnancy, when i believe it is the best time to have an abortion, they should be able to. but a woman will never know what this child will become. Who knows, maybe the child will grow up to be the person who finds a cure for cancer, aids, or might be the next best president. Plan B is also an option. Even though it costs 60 or so dollars, this pill is a great alternative to the costly abortion after having unprotected sex.

Um ……I am not really for abortion but I am not against it either. Bringing a child into the world by far is the best thing you can do in life but I feel women should have the option of abortion. I believe no women should be forced to have a child against her own will. Depending on the situation the child may or may not have been conceived through consensual intercourse or supported the child becomes an issue. Abortions aren’t a good thing but not having the right to have one is wrong. A women should have the right that’s all I am saying.

I am not against or for abortion. I think a lot of girls are using abortion as way of contraception and are not protecting themselves because they know that they can just go an get an abortion and everything will be fine. But I don't know why they refuse to use contraception or even refuse to get the morning after pill, it makes no sense to me. Perfect example is that a family friend of mine works in the UMDNJ University Hospital in Newark, NJ and she works in the office for OB/GYN and she deals with teenagers on a daily basis coming in and asking for abortions and she sees the same people every couple of months. And it she asks these girls why there here when they were there like four months ago and they just have no answer or the most common one she hears is "I don't know, it just happened", when her office provides the people with contraception amongst many other things.

By her telling me this, I just think the people are lazy and don't want to use any form of contraception. It's like you know the consequences of what will or can happen and just don't care about it and don't care about yourself which is sad in my opinion.

I also strongly believe that if a woman is raped she should have the option to terminate the pregnancy for the simple fact that she was raped. These people didn't plan on being raped and possibly ending pregnant and it's not their fault, so they should have the right to abort the child or not.

In conclusion, I think girls need to be educated in safe sex and be reminded constantly of the consequences. I think you either get pregnant and face the facts and reality of it and have the child and keep it or give up for adoption; and if you were raped you should be allowed to have the option to abort it or have it and give it up for adoption.

I am personally against abortion and at thesame time there are some situation that we cannot do without.Reason while i'm against abortion are,i grew up in a christain family where they have always preach against abortion that is the killing of human being which is against the law of God.The church always condemn it.We all know the longterm consequences of abortion such as cervical damage,vulnerable to deseases,sexual dysfuntion,psychosocial problems such as depression,self appraoch,social regression. But at the other hand there are some situation that we cannot do without.The was this poor girl in a town were i grew up.The parent were all death and she was barely struggling to make ends meet.She got rape by some crazy boys around and was pregnant for them.The girl decided to get rid of the pregnancy since there was little or no money to take care of the baby.Things were so diffucult for this girl.In such a situation,i think abortion should be legalised. The solution for this should be family planning and education.

I DISAGREE with abortion, the question to ask is whether someone has the authority to take some else’s life? Killing a baby is not an option or choice for someone to take. In the beginning this babies didn’t choose to come in the world or not the parents should has a responsibility for this kids, if they don’t want to have children, they should to be careful because the life is not easy to take or to kill, and before to chose you have to asked yourself a questions do you like to let someone decide for you to has a life or to take it from you. I AGREE in just one condition if the girl is RAPE and they cannot find the father, and the mother she can’t take this responsibility. In this case I AGREE because she didn’t chose to have babies.

I do not believe that it should be used as means of birth control, though. I also do not believe that I would exercise those rights if I were to have an "accident" because it really would have been my choice (for the most part) to put myself into that situation.

I think that it is amusing that in almost all of the posts that I have read, every time the female is scolded for "not keeping their legs closed". They did not do this entirely by themselves, and not one person is entirely responsible for a pregnancy- we are not asexually reproducing creatures.

I am highly annoyed by those who preach anti-abortion, but have the double standards of "but if the woman is raped... then it could be okay."

I am tired of seeing women abuse the system, as well. Popping out babies because they're just another child support or welfare check. Then allowing their children to live in poor conditions because they do not have the time or desire to love their children.

I had become aware of my mother having aborted a child before me not too long ago. Sure, I was visited with that feeling "It could have been me..." and sure. I, too, have been a shoulder to cry on, a friend to go to for help, someone to offer a helping hand... but I also realize that we are, in no way, unique. Had I not been there in those situations, it is more than likely that it just would have been someone else that those friends went to, and someone else that offered a helping hand.

I also believe that if abortion were made illegal, some women would go back to the old and archaic coat hanger ways... and that in itself is just as terrible, if not more-so, than the modern process of abortion. What do you tell your child who has one arm when they ask why it is that they have only one arm? When it is due to a failed coat hanger abortion? "Sorry sweetie, mommy wasn't ready for you; not only were you an accident, but you are also a failed abortion."

I agree with many of the people on the board who say that we should better educate people on sex and contraceptives. Unfortunately, the government seems to only want to give "abstinence only" programs the a-okay.

I think abortion is a tough topic to deal with, because there are a couple reasons why it could be considered. For the most part, I do not agree with it, because many people use it to shy away from the consequences of a decision they have made. This generation isn't stupid when it comes to knowing what could possibly result from sex, and yet people continue to engage in it without taking the necessary precautions first. But in situations such as rape or incest, I believe it is okay, because it was not a decision made by both parties and if a child should result from that encounter, I do not believe the mother has the responsibility to raise the reminder of such a tragic occurrence. I just with that rather than abortion all the time, women would have the baby and maybe put it up for adoption.

I am totally against abortion. In very few cases I do feel that a woman should be able to choose to carry her baby full term and that’s if she was impregnated involuntarily. I understand that the baby has no fault in anything but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to have and raise a child that was forced on you. I think it’s sad when a woman decides to have sex irresponsibly but then becomes a coward when the consequences arise. Anybody can take the easy way out. Why not consider the plan B which prevents pregnancy up to 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure? There are so many options out there to avoid having to murder a life you created. This is a touchy subject for me so I wont say much more about it.

We are not the giver or taker of life. No matter what the situation may be abortion is not the solution. Adoption can be. How can someone take the decision of aborting an innocent human being. Two wrongs will never make a right. Unfortunately young woman are faced with being raped, a violation that no one could ever take away, but how could there solution be in aborting an innocent human being. Things happen in life that we can never explain; aborting will never take the pain away of a rape or change what happened. Life is a beautiful thing whether or not the mother decides to be a part of it or decides to give it to another family. It is amazing to hear the stories of people that could have been aborted but by Gods grace were spared and became inspirational speakers, teachers, counselors, friends and future mothers or fathers. Imagine if you were aborted, you may not have had the easiest life but you where given a chance to live because you meant something to someone. You matter to people and you matter to God. He created you, and you were not a mistake. God has been misrepresented by many as a harsh and angry God, but is only the complete opposite. God is the giver and taker of life, not you. If people understood the true meaning and reason of why we live and who we live for, abortion would never even be considered by anyone.

I honestly agree with abortions. I agree that if people are not elgible to take care of a child then yes they need to get. Some poeple get rape, get pregnan by accident or do have see on purpose but wants a baby but realizes once the baby is here they dont want it anymore. Abortions need to stay around and stay legal there a lot of confused people in the world that doesnt exactly know yet what they want to do with there life. If we take away abortions then thre ould be more risks of people killing themselves and hurting themselves. Only because if a person doesnt want that baby there not going to have it, so if that means taking drugs, pushing themselves, falling down the stairs or killing themelves then thats the risk there going to take with no pressure. Some people cant afford a baby and neither can there family so if getting an abortion is the case that what they got to do. We as outside people can not judge other people or say something as to why they are doing what they are doing. We're not going to help out with other there babies so we cant say anything on someone esle's actions. So yes I agree to keeping abortions around.

Well i myself don't fully approve of abortion. I think that it is an option people should be allowed to have.It goes back to that Well i may not like what you say i will defend with my life your right to say it. There are a multitude of circumstances that i can think of in which termination of the fetus may be needed/wanted. Lets say a woman gets raped and becomes pregnant. I dont think she would want that child i myself wouldnt want a constant reminder of that night . So i think there needs to be limits as to why you are getting an abortion. I dont think it should soley be that hey i dont want a child so lets get rid of it.So i guess i approve abortion in certain Circumstances.

Although I'm a guy I do understand that it is is hard to understand that there is another life in you when you are pregnant. I would also understand that it is difficult to take that life away also known as an abortion. Honestly has that life in a woman's body experienced a "life"?

Scientist was unable to answer that question I have asked. When has a life of somebody became a "life". I believe in my opinion that the embryo isn't experiencing "life". A "life" is opening your eyes to the surroundings, touching and feeling emotions, and experiencing situations of your society. Being an embryo and growing to become a baby isn't experiencing the life if he/she was then born. We as a society has evolved emotionally as well as sexually. Now and days having a relationship without experiencing the "next step" of the relationship is rare. The next step is sex by the way. For example my girlfriend and I are ready to take the next step for our relationship and we both have agreed that even if we protect ourselves we both know that it could always happen. If that situation of having a baby happens, we both have decided that we are not ready for a child in our lives. Having a child is no easy going. It is financially difficult and if the couple isn't ready financially then they will experience poverty or as worse.

That is why abortions should be legal. Sometimes a couple is ready to take the relationship and love further but is not financially ready to have a child. It is not right to disagree with this knowing that you will struggle while having this child, because the child will have a life of struggle and poverty and end up deviant or worse. This is all just my opinion but honestly if your not ready to have a child and you have one. What would your option be knowing that that child has yet to open his/her eyes, walk, breath, or experienced the world. I believe that all those categories consist of a "life".

I believe abortions should be legal. You have your obvious reasons, such as a woman that may have been raped or a woman with health complications. Other than that, a woman who is simply not prepared to raise a child and lacks that maternal instinct should also have the right to an abortion. There is the argument of personal responsibility, but that woman will already have to deal with the fact that she had an abortion and any grief that may bring her; why make a child suffer as well? If abortions are made illegal, women will be more likely to go to unsafe practices of abortion. I can understand having abortion illegal after a certain point of pregnancy due to possible health complications. The best we can do to drop the number of unwanted pregnancies is to have sex education wide-spread. The teaching of abstinence only is a worn-out option, and quite ineffective.

I feel that a woman has the right to do whatever she wants with her body. When it comes to abortion, I also feel the she has the right to do so. Yes, it is sad and something hard to cope with, but there are reasons for it. The only reason I approve of abortion is the fact that there are certain circumstances in which abortion is needed. Such as rape victims that become pregnant. I know personally, that if I was raped and became pregnant, I would not want to have that child and everyday I look at that child and have a reminder of that day. It is also not fair to that child. In the case of complicated pregnancies if it comes to the life of the mother and child. She has the right to abort that child. Also, if Mother and Doctor know that a child will be born with a major deformity or neurological problem which prohibits the child from living a normal life a mother has the right to choose if she wants to put her child in that situation or if she is ready to handle that kind of situation. The reason I say handle that kind of situation is that some mothers who decide that they can handle the child and care for it, later on feel that it is to hard she may abandon that child. Many other circumstances may call for abortion. However, it all comes down to what is best for mother and child. So, yes I approve of abortion.

A couple of weeks ago there was a botched abortion in Miami that resulted in a baby being born in the clinic. An aid to the doctor came into the room, cut the umbilical cord with a pair of sissors, dropped the new born on the cold tile and then proceeded to put the baby into a plastic bag for it to suffocate and be thrown in the trash. The girl who went through this ordeal was 17 if im not mistaken. What a travesty this was. Abortian takes the life of a human and destroys it. People who are for it, what if your mom had decided to get an abortion? You would have never been able to hug a parent, ride a bike, kiss someone or any of the other joys that come with "Life". Adoption is always an option. If your not ready to have a kid, and you choose to have sex, you need to take every precaution available. Condoms, morning after pills and birth control pills are available. The "pull and pray" method is not a reasonable contraceptive. Seacrest out!

I absolutely agree that this is a woman’s choice. I completely believe that someone, anyone, who has an abortion, does so suffering the consequences of what might have been. This is not an easy choice for anyone to make. I am so sick of the religious right trying to tell everyone else how to live their lives. I myself am a victim of rape and if I had become pregnant, I would have wanted the option of terminating my pregnancy. I feel that I should have had the right to do so without people standing outside the clinic harassing me. The far right preaches more individual freedoms, but wants to push their religion on others. I feel the issue of abortion is mainly a religious argument. This is just another way of the religious zealots to take away our individual rights and shove their religion down our throats. What I find most interesting is that when you hear the debates the on the nightly news programs, nine times out of ten, it is a male opposing abortion. I know that I may be coming off angry, but this is a sensitive subject for me. We don’t want to teach anything but abstinence in the schools, but we are surprised when teens get pregnant. It is such an oxymoron.

First of all there needs to be better sex education in schools. Kids always want to be more grown up. What way to be more grown up than to have sex or have a kid. Kids need to be educated to prevent pregnancies from happening.

Now if a woman gets pregnant there is no doubt that she should have the choice to keep it or not. Carrying around a baby for 9months and then delivering it only to give it up for adoption is stupid. So many kids are traumatized by the fact that their parents didn't want then and gave them way. Other kids just from foster home to orphanage until they are 18.

A child should not be brought up into this world by another child, someone who is not fit to be a parent, or even someone who is just not ready to have a child at that point in their life.

Abortions should be legal but there should be more of a process for getting one. Making it too easy lets girls think they can use it as a type of birth control.

This is a subject that is sensitive for me to address. I understand both sides of this controversy. I myself, was against abortion for as long as I can remember. I always thought it was morally wrong and just terrible. I could not even think how someone could just end a life so quickly as they do now. Unfortunately, I have been on all three possible sides of this argument. And yes, there are three. (There are the ones who think it is wrong, the ones who think it is a choice, and the pregnant mothers who in general do not like to even talk about it. ) I AM the pregnant girl in class who didn't say anything on this topic. Last year, I discontinued using a birth control called Depo-Provera, which so commmonly known as "The Shot". I hated the symptoms so after a year of being on it I decided to stop. The after effects of this are not clear and differ with everyone. Assuming I wouldnt become fertile while I waited to get my regular pills again, which was only a few months, I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea. Needless to say, I was partying and consumed quite a bit of alcohol around new years, and was not preparing for anything because I had NO earthly idea I was pregnant until I took a test. I felt terrible, and I was not dating the father anymore. The decision to abort was something I am still to this day regretting. I really wish if I had known earlier I couldve done something to prevent it. The main reason behind this decision was the baby's future. This baby would never know its father, (he was not in any way able to handle a child), and would probably have health problems. I feel terrible about it and I HATE talking about it. The only thing that I could think about was how hard it would be to raise this child, who would never have the life it deserved. Last semester around the 18th I found out I was pregnant, but this time I wasnt terrified. I was happy with my job, my future and my future husband I have been with for a year now. We have planned everything so perfectly and I have been so excited to have my baby (girl), this April. So with all of this happening in such short time, I am caught in between. It is indeed, a terrible decision to have to make, but, in some circumstances, it all sits on the baby's future. I don't support women who have repeat abortions, or have late term abortions. However, I think in terms of what is best for mom and baby; Some girls make a huge and honest mistake by not being religious with their birth control,(me),rape, or what have you. I think it all depends. It is also a subject people take way out of proportion, because they cant observe all the possibilities and sides that follow. It was hard for me to talk about this in class. I hope this comment is something people can read and understand.

I certainly oppose abortion. I think there aren't good enough reasons what so ever to have an abortion. I think abortion is one of the worst kind of sin anyone can commit. The idea of even thinking about it is heartbreaking. Although you might feel unprepared to bring a child to earth,there are other decisions you could take other than abortion. For example, putting the baby up for adoption. Or even letting someone from your family to take care of the child. I mean the process of abortion is horrible!!!!

Abortion is a personal opinion that varies from person to person. I believe that if the necessary step of abortion is taken then it should be done responsibly. The rise in numbers for girls having abortions may be increasing, but if they wanted kids then they would not have had an abortion. I am stuck between views of being for and against abortion, since it is a life changing process that may affect the person it should be the last step taken. Harm to the body and rape are specifics which I believe are responsible choices for having an abortion. When girls have unprotected sex and are irresponsible in the situation then they should not have the choice to have such a procedure done instead they should continue to have the child and give it up for adoption. Every decision made is made for the right reason or for the best interest of the person; abortion is made legal to have the option to decide.

Abortion is a very strong topic. Unless your in the situation its hard to answer. Of course nobody wants to be a farther or mother at 14. However i still see there is certain cases where abortion is okay. If you get raped and pregeant. You shouldnt have to raise a child when you were held against your own will. It is very bad and you can say sad that abortion keeps raising. I understand everyone makes mistakes however more education in school would really help the abortions from rising.

I believe in abortion only on certain situations like if the girl has been raped. In that case the girl doesn't have a choice of having sex because she is being forced beyond her own will. On the other hand if two people engage in sex and aren't responsible enough to use some sort of protection, I think that they should at least give the child a chance at life in this society. I have a friend that grew up in orphanges untill he was 16 then was finally adopted. In the chance of life he was givin, he know has honarable and still is serving in the Army with two deployments under his build, he also has a wife and child of his own. So people that get abortions, besides the rape situation should feel bad about not allowing a baby a chance at life, something that comes and goes very easily in this day of age.

Well the constitution pretty clearly states LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Does this mean that under the circumstances that these citizens, who no matter how you argue it, are in fact living beings, are not entitled to these same rights. What kind of civillized society do we live in if we kill our own children without even giving them a chance. Espically with that safe haven law where a child can be dropped off to a public building no questions asked. It is also disgusting that some people cannot even have kids and when they go through all the medical procedures to make pregnancyu possible it is in the thousands of dollars. Abortion is wrong and should not be allowed as it infriges on the chiolds right to life. I also do not believe that my tax dollars should be spent on something i don't believe in!

I do not support abortion. It does not matter how the infant is brought into this world abortion is not the way to take an infant out. In my opinion the child did not ask to be brought into this world and there are so many different ways to handle the situation. Abortion not only ends the life of a defenseless human being but it can also severely damage the insides of a women. An abortion is an essay way out of a difficult situation. I can’t imagine anyone who would be proud of a decision like abortion. If you can’t afford to care for the infant find one of the many organizations that provides help to pregnant women and go get the help. No one should ever be ashamed of bringing a child into this world.

Here we are once again discussing this burning and controversial issue of Prolife/Prochoice. This issue continues to divide the American electorates.I am prochoice, I believe abortion is not the killing of an unborn child, but as a legal right to terminate a pregnancy or removal of a fetus that has not become a iving being. A woman should have the right to do what she wants with her body, and if she becomes pregnant , she should have the right to abort if necessary; especially in cases of rape and incest.Further the government should allow abortions clinics to be a safe envirnoment, thereby protecting individuals from reverting to unsafe and illegal practices.In addition , instead of us arguing the abortion issue whether Roe vs Wade should be overturned,lets' establish the definition of human life, at the beginning and at the end. Once that is clearly defined the abortion issue will not be so controversial.

Aborting a child is one of the most cruel and inhumane things someone can do. What gives you the right to play God and choose who lives and who dies? Depriving a fetus of potential life is a decision that only God himself should have. We need to educate our youth on the repercussions of having unprotected sex. Many times, people are simply unaware of all the options that are available that could help avoid the problems of unwanted pregnancies. In order to avoid the problem in teens, we need a stronger and more supportive family foundation that will give parental guidance. When teens are left ignored and educated, it highers the percentage of them screwing up and becoming pregnant. Im all for human rights, but there are some things that need to be taken more seriously, and abortion is one of them.